Did I mention I love you? (Editing)

Chapter Eighteen

~Chapter Eighteen~

{Lee}

I was looking out the window trying to surreptitiously wipe away my tears so that Artie wouldn't see them. I didn't like to cry, especially in front of people.

"What're you doing?" Artie whispered suddenly in my ear causing me to jump.

"N-nothing..." I muttered too quickly. I was busy calming my racing heart when he caught sight of my reflection in the window. I looked down right away but it was too late. He'd seen them. My tears.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice ful of tenderness. And there it was the pity. I didn't want anyones pity! I was sick and tired of it! I'd been pitied my entire life because I was the girl whose parents didn't want her!

"No talking!" Mr.Evans spoke up from his desk. That didn't stop Artie though. He brought out a notebook and a pen.

"Lee, what's wrong?" He wrote on the paper.

"Nothing, I'm fine." I scribbled back.

"You can't lie to me, Lee."

"I'm not lying." I wrote back angrily.

"Okay, if you don't want to talk about it... I'll be here if you want to talk." He pushed the notebook towards me gently and I read over the words a few times until they were blurred and unrecognizable by the welling of tears in my eyes.

Artie was kind enough to let me be when I was upset and what did I do for him? Get him stuck with two weeks of detention! I really was an absolutely horrible person! I couldn hardly stand to be near myself.

I grabbed the pen and quickly wrote out the words I never thought I'd even consider. "Artie Kent, I allow you passage into the normal world. You're no longer my newbie."

*Artie*

Lee picked up the pen and wrote something quickly. She pushed it back to me and I read over her words. What just happened? My eyebrows furrowed in utter confusion and I looked at her. She wasn't looking at me so I gently lifted her chin so she'd look at me.

There were still tears in her eyes and running down her face. I brushed them away with my thumbs and it pained me to see her like this. I looked her square in the eye and whispered, "I don't accept."

It was her turn to furrow her eyebrows. "What? You can't just not accept! You're not my newbie any more! I don't deserve a newbie like you," she huffed indiginantly. I shook my head at her and she dropped her eyes from mine. "Artie, you're too good of a person," she whispered. "I've done nothing to deserve a great friend like you and yet you stay by my side and get two weeks of detention just so I don't have to be alone with Kevin and the teacher. I'm a horrible person and I think you're great but that's why I can't stay around you. I'll just keep dragging you down."

After she was done talking I felt a horrible pang in my chest. "Lee, you're possibly one of the nicest people I've ever met. You think that you're dragging me down but in all honesty I'm throwing myself down. If you're in detention I want to be sitting next to you." I nudged her with my hip playfully. "I like being around you and even if you didn't have this detention I still would've hit Kevin just for being Kevin. You deserve plenty of great friends and I feel honored that you think so highly of me. If you'd let me though I'd like to continue beign your newbie..."

She looked up at me with a little smile playing around the edges of her lips and I wanted so badly to kiss her right then and there. "Really?" she asked, her voice small and so innocent.

"Really," I said with a firm nod.

"Would you two stop talking?! It's been seven minutes! SEVEN! Now hush or I'll seperate you two." I rolled my eyes at the teacher and smiled down at Lee.

{Lee}

Artie smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back. His happiness was infectious. I tried to seperate from him but he insisted... What was that old saying? If you love something set it free and if it comes back it's yours?

Technically I set Artie free so does that mean he's mine?

I looked at him from the corner of my eye and saw him doodling aimlessly on our paper we'd been using to converse with. I could deal with that, I thought to myself.

(Kevin)

They quit talking for the rest of the detention thankfully. I'm surprised they didn't just confess their undying love for each other right there and then start making out.

They made me sick.

When the bell finally rang freeing me from this hell I basically sprinted from the room. Sitting in my Jeep I made myself a promise.

If they got to make my life hell then I'd do the same for them. I'd hurt them both like they hurt me. They didn't know what I was capable of.

{Lee}

Artie led me outside to his truck. Kevin had left as soon as possible so Artie's truck was the only one left in the student lot.

We hopped in and he started the drive back to my house. I turned his radio on to my favorite station and just relaxed back into my seat. When a familiar song came on I started nodding my head and mouthing the words.

"I love this song," Artie said. I turned my head and he was doing the same thing I was. A big smile made it's way onto my face and I barely stifled a laugh.

"I never pegged you for a Maroon 5 fan..." I commented, humming along with the familiar verses of Moves Like Jagger.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Artie said, the joking air that had settled around us was slowly fading to something more serious.

"Really?" I asked. My interest was piqued. I felt as though I wasnted to know Artie more. "Like what?"

"Let's play a game. You can ask me any question and I have to answer truthfully."

"What's the catch?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow.

"No catch. You just have to let me ask you a question in return. No lying."

"Okay," I said, determined. "Let's play."

~~

Okay. Not my best work I know. I re-wrote this so many times! I know my spacing is a little different too because when I was at my Dad's it didn't auto space it so I had to guess and since I'm back at my Mom's it auto spaced it now...

Thoughts? I'm going to try and upload again tonight because I have time and school is getting busier. Not really but I'm getting homework now so... I'll try and write when I'm in one of my ag classes. Yeah I took three (That's where Lee gets it!) and our sub doesn't care if I ahve my phone out because he loves me!

So my problem... My friend Jose was weirding me out on the first day back. He wanted me to sit next to him at lunch so I did (No big deal right?) Then the first words out of his mouth as soon as I sat down were "So, Barbara, are you going to prom?" Now my name's not Barbara but that's what he calls me just like his name isn't Jose. But back on topic... What does that mean? Am I going to prom? He told me he thought about me alot this summer and then he asked for a hug. That's just him being friendly right? No one else thinks so! I need some opinions and advice!!!

Okay my rant is over! I'm sorry about that it's just now I'm a bit paranoid... Okay I'll stop talking and work on my next chapter! I'll try and make it more exciting because I know this is slow and boring but remember this is only Artie's second day! Things can't move too fast!

This one goes out to Laura_The_Explorer because she's awesome and she fanned me and commented and voted!!! I love you so much! And I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this dedication but I can only work so fast.

Random thought: Tried to go to Wal mart yesterday with Mum but it rained so bad and we got to like within like a quarter of a mile to Wal Mart and turned to drive the forty minutes back home because the rain was that bad! Yeah and I had planned to write all day today but no I was in Wal Mart with my Mum...

<3